Qualifying held a handful of surprises on Saturday, with Red Bull star Sergio Perez failing to qualify for Q2 and a mechanical problem preventing Championship leader Max Verstappen from finishing higher than P10. Many would have assumed then that Ferrari would close out the front row, and that looked to be the case when Carlos Sainz set a blistering time that put a glove on the rest of the field. Russell then flew under the radar, pipping the Spaniard by a quarter of a second to take the first pole of his career. Hamilton was left racing with one hand tied behind his back due to a DRS problem in his final qualifying lap and while Mercedes’ celebrations were jubilant, he was noticeably less enthusiastic about his individual situation. DON’T MISS: George Russell refuses to commit to Mercedes question after impressive Hungarian GP pole “I tried to open the DRS and it wouldn’t open, which is unfortunate,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “It felt great, the front row was definitely there so it would be awesome to get one for the team. “But these things happen. Congratulations to George as it’s a great result for the team with everything we’ve been through. We certainly didn’t expect it.” Indeed, Mercedes appear to be finding a rhythm just before the summer break with almost a month to wait until the Belgian Grand Prix after Sunday’s race. The Silver Arrows achieved their first double podium of the season last time out at Circuit Paul Ricard, with Hamilton taking second and Russell third behind Grand Prix winner Verstappen. It was another sign that the team has made significant progress after a poor run of games to start the season, with seal problems putting them well off the pace. Despite moving in the right direction, Mercedes are yet to take a win in 2022. Russell has never won a Grand Prix in his career and this season marks the longest stretch in a campaign that Hamilton has failed to achieve a win but with Red Bull essentially out of the equation they could fancy their chances in Hungary. Russell’s pole position and Hamilton’s disappointing P7 were described as “bittersweet” by team principal Toto Wolff, who refused to rule anything out when asked if the Championship races were still alive. “It’s so hard to say because there’s a big points gap behind Max, like everyone else,” he told Sky Sports. “But you can see how fast we can go today. We’ll never give up. We’re always doubting, swinging and that’s what makes the sport so tough but exciting. I wouldn’t give a damn if we win tomorrow.”
